VIDEO: Point-of-care ultrasound testing speeds diagnosis, adds safety at the bedside

WASHINGTON — A two-day session at the American College of Physicians Internal Medicine Meeting reviewed techniques in performing ultrasound as well as the benefits for the clinician and patient, said Keith Boniface, MD, George Washington University School of Medicine.

Ultrasound at the bedside enables the clinician to quickly and accurately diagnose conditions such as gall bladder disease, hydronephrosis, or dyspnea of unclear etiology and then integrate those findings into clinical decision making.

“We are pressured as clinicians to make diagnoses more quickly and less invasively” and incorporating ultrasound at the bedside produces immediate findings that can be shared and discussed with the patient, Boniface said.

This technology also assists to guide needle placement for paracentesis, thoracentesis or a central line, increasing patient safety, he added.